The League Of Justice: Age Of Metahumans

Serum X

     12th April 2012, Rafael, Saoban, Ibrahim, Ishaq and Khalifa were in a blue Mercedes Benz, on a highway, returning from a party around 12:45pm, that was hosted in Sparrow City. Rafael who was driving recklessly gave Ibrahim who was sitting beside him a side look with a smirk, apparently sensing something is wrong with his best friend.
     "Are you okay?" Rafael asked, curiously, as he focused on driving.
     "He just missed his girl back in Sparrow City, nothing more, right, Ibrahim?" Khalifa asked, in a chortle.
     "Shut up, Khalifa" Ibrahim said, in a stern voice.
     "Seriously, man. What's wrong?" Rafael asked, giving Ibrahim a side look.
     Ibrahim lowered his head briefly and then gazed at the road just in time to see a caterpillar at full speed coming right towards them. But before he could warn Rafael to watch out, Saoban, Khalifa and Ishaq whom have seen imminent death coming their way, began to yell at Rafael whose senses focused on Ibrahim.
     Rafael all of a sudden turned around and saw the speeding caterpillar coming towards them. He matched the brakes to avoid being smashed but it was too late to cry when the head is cut off; the caterpillar being too close smashed the Mercedes Benz violently causing it to fly backwards, rolling several times in the air before it landed beside a pole on the other side of the empty highway completely recked beyond repair.
     Ibrahim sat there mortally wounded and coughing out blood continuously, in an agony he never felt before. He managed to give Rafael who is completely out cold a look, shortly before a glowing blue smoke appeared few feet from the wrecked vehicle and then widened itself, thus terrifying the living night time out of him.
     A fair skinned man Doctor Tom Ridge with bald head and brown eyes, in a laboratory coat walked through the glowing blue smoke holding a Golden briefcase, accompanied by three individuals in their early 20s; Anita Benson who is fair in complexion with long blue hair and green eyes; Creda Diamond who is fair in complexion with brown eyes and brown hair; Frank Gibbs who is fair in complexion with blue eyes and black hair.
     Creda walked to the wrecked car smiling widely only to found Ibrahim still conscious unlike Rafael and the others whom were all unconscious. He grinned viciously at him before he glanced at the others over a shoulder.
     "This one's still in the land of the living" Creda said, as he gazed at Ibrahim breathing slowly and in pain.
     Dr Tom and the others walked to the wrecked vehicle. He gestured the others to pull Ibrahim and his friends out of the car. He put his briefcase on the hood of the wrecked car and then opened it, revealing five vials containing a blue fluid.
     Ibrahim breathing slowly as he felt his life force draining away from him slowly. He watched in shock as Creda ripped off the car door effortlessly, pulled him out and then lay him down on the ground. He gazed at the stars in the sky unable to believe that he was meant to die young.
     Dr Tom picked up one of the vials and empty it into a syringe. He turned and glanced down at the dying Ibrahim, hoping that the Serum X will work successfully on him and his friends just like their reliable source had declared it would. He sighed heavily before he walked and bend beside Ibrahim.
     "Are you a doctor?" Ibrahim asked, writhing in pain.
     "Something like that, Ibrahim." Dr Tom said, grinning widely.
     Ibrahim lay there staring at the stranger in laboratory coat who knew his name, that's when he saw the syringe containing a blue fluid. He struggled to move a muscle but couldn't feel his legs at all.
     "What's that?" Ibrahim asked, staring at the syringe in the doctor's hand.
     "You talk too much, lad" Anita said, in a chuckle, after standing over Ibrahim.
     "It's both a miracle and death. If you survived it, it will grant you powers beyond your imagination" Dr Tom said, with a sigh, before he injected Ibrahim with the blue fluid via the neck.
     "What kind of powers?" Ibrahim asked, curiously.
     "I told you what I was told to tell you" Dr Tom said, before he got up walked to Rafael and the others whom were still breathing.
     "Here's the terrible news, Ibrahim. No one has ever survived Serum X" Anita said, grinning wickedly.
     Ibrahim stared at Anita for a moment before he felt the Serum circulating his body. All of a sudden, his body turned hot and his body began to tremble violently. His heart that was beating very slow started beating unusually fast. The thought of his parents and siblings rushed into him as he struggled desperately to survive. Tears suddenly filled his eyes as he realized that he would soon be dead due to the way his heart was beating in his chest.
     "I think it's working, doc" Anita said, impressively, as she could hear his heart beating unusually fast, thanks to her enhanced senses.
     After injecting Rafael and the others with the Serum, Dr Tom hurried back to the trembling Ibrahim to see for himself. He grinned widely and then glanced over at the others whom were still unconscious. He hoped the others would also successfully fight to survive the Serum X like their friend was doing.
     "We will be back if you survive, kid" Dr Tom said, tenderly, before he and the others walked through the portal and it vanished.
     Ibrahim lay there as his body continues to tremble violently as the serum circulates his body through his blood. He gazed at the stars as tears of guilt rolled down his cheeks, reminding himself that he and his best friends won't be present tomorrow at their graduation day, because of their innate stupidity and lack of proper sense. On the spur of the moment, his body stopped trembling, his wounds and broken bones completely healed. He sat upright dumbfounded feeling rejuvenated.
     "What just happened?" Ibrahim asked himself as he stood up.
     Ibrahim looked around his surroundings recalling the faces of Dr Tom and his companions. He also recalled what Anita had said that no one has ever survived the serum before, but it is now obvious that he did. He clenched his fists and teeth reminding himself that Dr Tom declared that they would be back if he and his friends survived.
     "What happened?" Ishaq asked, curiously, after he sat upright.
     Ibrahim turned around apparently glad to see his best friends completely healed as well. He hurried and helped them up to their feet as they seemed so curious to know what happened to them and how they survived an accident they shouldn't, due to how their car got wrecked beyond repair.
     "Aren't we supposed to be dead right now?" Khalifa asked, in a curious tone.
     "We should be dead!" Rafael said, freaking out.
     "But we survived, didn't we?" Ibrahim asked, boldly.
     "Without a scratch? That's impossible, buddy" Rafael said, sternly.
     "How do you expect us to explain that?" Saoban asked, curiously, as he pointed at the wrecked car.
     Ibrahim glanced at the wrecked car they borrowed from a friend of theirs who never wanted to give them the car, but they managed to convince him to. He sighed heavily before he racked his brain for a proper idea. He suddenly came up with a brilliant idea to tell the owner of the car that it was stolen from them, that's the reason why they returned to Coastal City very late.
     "Leave everything to me, say nothing to anyone" Ibrahim said, sternly.
     "And what about Abubakar?" Saoban asked, curiously.
     "Just follow my lead" Ibrahim said, with a sigh.
     The next day, Ibrahim woke up with a start in his apartment. He glanced at the wall clock, it's already 7:30am and he would be late for their graduation ceremony. He sat upright on his bed as the thought of what happened to them crossed his mind. He never thought for a second that night, that they would go back home in one piece but they did, thanks to the strange serum they got injected with. On the spur of the moment, he caught the honk of a moving train miles away as if he was standing right there, causing him to cover his ears with both hands feeling unbelievable. To his own shock, he could now hear people's voices and honks of vehicles from all around him.
     "Are you kidding me?" Ibrahim asked, in shock, as he got up and roamed about the room with his hands covering his ears.
     Around 8:00am, Ibrahim arrived at the gate of Sheikh Abdullahi Gwandu College in a cab only to find his best friends at the gate apparently waiting for him with worry eyes. He paid his bill and hurried to his friends equally worried about what's happening to him ever since he woke up.
     "Why are you guys still out here? Our graduation ceremony has already started" Ibrahim said, seriously.
     "We can't go in there hearing voices in our head, dude" Ishaq said, in a nervous tone.
     "I can hear them too. They are the voices of people around us. Just focus on yourself and it will stop" Ibrahim said, tenderly.
     Saoban and the others stared at Ibrahim with curiosity in their eyes, obviously desperate to know what was happening to them. How they survived last night's accident without even a scratch is still confusing them to the brim. And they all believed that Ibrahim was hiding something from them.
     "What's happening to us, buddy?" Khalifa asked, curiously.
     Ibrahim stood there contemplating what to tell them that won't make him look like an idiot. He recalled what Dr Tom had said, that if they survived Serum X it would grant them powers beyond imagining. He doesn't want to tell them about Dr Tom and the metahumans that accompanied him yet, so he decided to just tell them what would calm down for the time being.
     "We're evolving. We will never be the same again. I'll explain everything to you later after the graduation" Ibrahim said, sounding serious.
     "Alright" Ishaq and Rafael said, in unison.
     "Now let's get in there and become legends" Ibrahim said, cracking a smirk.
     After the graduation ceremony, Ibrahim in an elegant graduation gown was sitting alone on a bench in the school premises with so many people scattered everywhere. He thought about his girlfriend Hajar who broke up with him three months ago during their school party where she caught him making out with his long time lover Meenat Ahmad. He sighed heavily feeling guilty that she would forever hate him for what he did even though, he loves Meenat so much as well.
     "What did you do to my car, you piece of shit?" A student in a graduation gown named Abubakar Isa asked, in a disgust tone, as he appeared behind Ibrahim.
     Ibrahim sighed softly as he rolled his eyes just before he got up and faced his long time friend. As he locked eyes with him he somehow started feeling what he was feeling about what happened to his car and could hear his thoughts. He grinned widely feeling like the most powerful being on the planet.
     "Why are you grinning at me like an idiot?" Abubakar asked, in a stern voice.
     "Because you are an idiot" Ibrahim said, in a chuckle.
     Abubakar in a fit of anger moved closer to Ibrahim who is always sadistic. He glared at him obviously ready to take him, since they both loved fighting. And now that they have graduated as one of the best students of their time, no one would suspend them for fighting in the school during their graduation day.
     "What happened to my car? It was towed to my parent's house this morning and they thought I was in a morgue somewhere not even alive, because no one could survived that wreckage" Abubakar said, seriously.
     "Your car was stolen outside the nightclub we went to. The thief was hit by a caterpillar on his way" Ibrahim said, sounding serious.
     "You told me that you would be visiting your parents that's why I gave you the car!" Abubakar said, angrily, as he seized Ibrahim by the collars.
     Instinctively, Ibrahim seized Abubakar by the throat as everyone in the school premises stopped what they were doing and stared at them. He lifted him up effortlessly with both hands and then jostled him a good ten feet thus, shocking the living daylight out of everyone there.
     Abubakar stood up equally shocked by what just happened just as Ibrahim turned around and walked away. He stood there unable to fathom how his long time friend was able to perform such feat without any discomfort. He quickly believed that his long time friend has started taking strength boosts.
     Ibrahim was heading to the lockers corridor to empty his locker since he is no longer a student but an ex-student. As he took the hallway leading to the lockers corridor he started hearing the thoughts of those he passed. It suddenly stopped as he spotted Umar, Yusuf, Yunus and Monday coming his way together with three others: Abdulaziz Idris who is fair in complexion with hazel eyes and black hair; Sadiq Buhari who is dark in complexion with brown eyes and black hair; and Abdulrahman Adam who is dark in complexion with hazel eyes and black hair. He cracked a vicious smirk sensing trouble emanating off of them.
     "Where have you been? We have been looking for you all day" Abdulrahman said, after he and the others got to Ibrahim.
     "What's going on?" Ibrahim asked, sounding curious.
     "We just saw your girl, Hajar, with that playboy, went to the gym few minutes ago" Abdulaziz said, in a serious tone.
     "Jumare!" Ibrahim said, sounding unbelievable.
     "We wanted to thrash the son of a pig, but we realized you deserved to be the one to do it, since she left you only to reunite with him" Umar said, mischievously.
     Ibrahim stood there feeling his rage boiling inside him as he pictured Hajar with Jumare together like old times. He realized no matter how much he would love her she would always make Jumare his equal. He clenched his teeth angrily as he thought of teaching his rival a lesson for the time being that would force him to walk away out of self preservation.
     Hajar who is fair in complexion with brown eyes and long black hair was sitting beside Jumare who is dark in complexion with brown eyes and black hair, on the gym mat holding hands happily, that they have rediscovered their inborn feelings for one another that made them unbreakable and inseparable.
     Jumare played with Hajar's fingers gently as they both enjoyed the absolute silence of the gym. He suddenly stopped what he was doing as the thought of seeing Ibrahim in the school premises. He wanted to befriend the guy back then but then found out that he was in love with his girl so much. A part of him is so glad that his girl had finally realized how worthless Ibrahim is and came back to him, her one true love. The other part of him was willing to do anything to keep Hajar and by all means necessary.
     "What's wrong? Are you okay?" Hajar asked, softly.
     "I am good. I just recalled seeing your ex boyfriend earlier that's all" Jumare said, with a sigh.
     "Don't worry about that piece of shit. I am yours and you're mine to the very end" Hajar said, tenderly.
     On the spur of the moment, Ibrahim stormed into the gym with Umar and the others, scowling right at Jumare and Hajar. He gazed into Hajar's eyes and saw nothing but pure hatred that enraged him more to the brim.
     "You broke my heart just to be with this half-wit, right?" Ibrahim asked, in a mocking tone.
     "I am not a half-wit!" Jumare said, repulsively, as he glare at Ibrahim.
     Ibrahim cracked a wide smile before he broke out of a menace laughter that seemed to make Hajar felt nervous because her former boyfriend apparently got her and Jumare right where he want them. As he laughed menacingly Umar, Yusuf and Monday stepped forward smiling viciously as they scowled at Jumare who is obviously outnumbered and outmatched.
     "You came here uninvited, dude" Umar said, with a chuckle.
     "I invited him here!" Hajar said, a loud, as she stood in front of her boyfriend trying to protect him from her ex boyfriend and his friends.
     "Your invitation is not verified by the higher authority, sweetheart" Ibrahim said, in a chortle.
     On the spur of the moment, Abdulaziz, Sadiq, Yunus and Abdulrahman lurched towards Jumare and started beating him while Ibrahim and the others watched with amusement. Hajar yelled at them to stop but none of them listen to her.
     "Tell them to stop, you piece of shit!" Hajar said, angrily, yelling at Ibrahim.
     "Why should I?" Ibrahim asked, in a chuckle.
     Hajar hurried to where Ibrahim was standing and swung a fist at him, but to her shock he caught it in the mid air, and then pulled her closer to him gently until she rest her hands and head on his chest. She attempted to pull away from him, but he held her firm with his absolute strength.
     "Let go of me!" Hajar said, struggling to no avail.
     Ibrahim jostled Hajar a good seven feet on the gym mat as he glanced at his friends thrashing Jumare the way he want them to. He looked down at the love of his life on the gym mat staring at him mouth opened apparently shock and unbelievable that he could hurt her now after all the promises he had made that he would never hurt her no matter the situation.
     "I am so sorry for what happened between us, Hajar." Ibrahim said, in a serious tone, before he focused on Jumare and his friends.
     Umar and the others ceased beating Jumare as he lay there spitting out blood from his mouth continuously. Sadiq and Yunus both grabbed his arm forcing him to stand weakly before them.
     Jumare stood there breathing heavily and feeling pain all over his body. He spotted Ibrahim now standing over his girlfriend while smiling at him mischievously. He felt an anger he never felt before in his life rising from within him. He erased all the good things he had learned about Ibrahim from his head and replaced them with an insatiable desire to just kill him so he and his girlfriend could find peace.
     "How about just you and me, coward?" Jumare asked, a loud, in a fit of rage, scowling right at Ibrahim.
     "What?" Hajar asked, nervous and unbelievable, as she stared at Jumare wide eyed.
     Ibrahim walked towards the incapacitated Jumare, grinning wickedly. He stopped four steps away from him and then glanced over his shoulder at Hajar who apparently know the outcome of her boyfriend's stupidity.
     Hajar quickly hurried and stood in front of Ibrahim willing to stop him from accepting Jumare's challenge. She thought of standing up for him even though, there's nothing she can do to change the outcome of her own actions. She realized it is all her fault.
     "Please let him go. I beg you, Ibrahim" Hajar said, pleadingly.
     "I am not doing this because of what you did. I deserved it for the sake of my wandering eyes. Jumare, on the other hand, has an unfinished business with me, which we would settle very soon" Ibrahim said, in a stern voice.
     Jumare in a fit of rage yelled out Ibrahim's name before he pulled Sadiq who was holding his right arm, closer to him with all the strength he could muster and gave him a headbutt right on the nose, sending him stumbling backwards with bleeding nose and in pain. He punched Yunus twice and then kicked him down.
     Ibrahim gestured Umar and the others to let Jumare be as they attempted to pounce at him. He grinned at Jumare who was glaring right at him. He took a step forward apparently amazed that his rival has the guts to challenge him.
     "Don't do this, Jumare" Hajar said, nervously.
     "Stay out of this! I just want to kill him right here and right now!" Jumare said, in a fit of rage.
     Ibrahim ceased smiling due to the fact that Jumare now want his life and willing to do anything to take it. In a fit of rage, he moved towards him at the speed of light and seized him by the throat. Umar and all the others stood there staring at him apparently confused about how he did what he did.
     On the spur of the moment, Saoban, Rafael, Khalifa and Ishaq stormed into the gym so disappointed with what Ibrahim and the others had done to Jumare. They hurried to where Ibrahim was and surrounded him apparently ready to fight him to rescue the helpless Jumare who doesn't know when to call it quits.
     "What is this?" Ibrahim asked, in a fit of rage, looking at Rafael.
     "Let him go, right now" Rafael said, in disgust.
     "Or else what?" Ibrahim asked, angrily.
     "What is happening to you is also happening to us. So we can take you by all means necessary" Saoban said, in a threatening tone.
     "What you are doing is not right" Ishaq said, sternly.
     "You can't force Hajar to love you again by thrashing her boyfriend in front of her" Khalifa said, in annoyance.
     In a fit of rage, Ibrahim jostled Jumare to the floor so disappointed that his best friends whom were supposed to take his side, took the side of his rival. He swung a filthy look at them for a moment, then swung a disgusting look at Hajar trying to help Jumare to his feet. He stormed out of the gym without saying a word to anyone.
     Umar and his group of friends stood there apparently processing what they had seen that can not be explain by the laws of nature. Before any of them could ask what Saoban meant by "what is happening to you is also happening to us", Saoban, Rafael, Ishaq and Khalifa left the gym to find Ibrahim who knows exactly what was happening to them and who also knows how they survived an accident they shouldn't.